Souvenirs
by blueskyblues
Summary: 16 year old Effie Trinket is sent packing by her parents to live with her Aunt Isabel in Seattle. One problem, she lives nearly 4000 miles away in New York City. When a certain someone pulls up and offers her a ride, will the two be able to put up with one another all the way across the States or will their differences get the better of them? Rating may change.
1. Chapter 1 - Hit The Road

_Fuck my life_. The first thought that came to Effie Trinkets mind as she sat slumped down on the curb across from the drugstore on the main road.

She had already made her way from downtown Manhattan to Teaneck, New Jersey on nothing but her own two feet and was glad of her worn down Converse that offered a little comfort.

Now it was just a waiting game for the bus to take her to the nearest airport.

She thought that two hundred dollars would be enough for a flight to Seattle where her Aunt Isabel lived along with here two cousins Elise and Kara. The two hundred dollars weren't hers, they were her mothers. Served the bitch right for sending her away.

Effie hadn't had any time to pack anything worth taking before her mother had literally pushed her out of the door. She only had a change of clothes, her iPod, phone and late uncle's guitar but since she was off to '_start a new life'_ that was probably all she needed.

Her mother didn't even let her say goodbye to her friends and she had to make do with a farewell text and the promise of a phone call as soon as she landed in Seattle. Besides, maybe there would be good looking guys in Seattle she could make 'friends' with. Not exactly the Gold Coast but if you're into the moody 'Edward Cullen' type then it was probably a good equivalent.

She took her headphones out of her ears and lazily folded them round her iPod before stashing it away in the small messenger bag at her side.

Another car pulled up at the sidewalk. Maybe the third, fourth one tonight. Effie told all the jackasses that pulled up looking for a good time exactly where to go and planned to do exactly the same when she was cut off before she could even open her mouth.

"You wanna ride?"

Effie looked up for the first time that night and saw the man sitting inside the car. He had wavy, dirty blond hair that was swept over lazily and complimented his features well. From what little she could see of him, she concluded that he was handsome. Very.

"Well that depends." She said, still keeping her distance.

"On what?" he asked, sending her a half smile.

"Are you a serial killer?"

He laughed. "No, I am not a serial killer." He smirked when he saw she still looked unconvinced. "Check the trunk if you like?"

"I think I'll pass."

There was a pause.

"So where're you going?"

"Where are you going?" She teased, giving a half smile which he returned. Truthfully, she didn't care where he was going. He was _way_ too good looking to let go.

"Well, I'm going just west of Atlanta but I can drop you off anywhere along the way. Name it." He said, leaning out of the window a little.

"How about you start driving and then I tell you where I want to go." Effie asked with a shrug. If she told him right now that she wanted a ride to Seattle he would probably drive off thinking she was shit crazy.

"How about you stop being stubborn and tell me?" he gave her a look as she began to gather her belongings and stand up.

"I think my way is much better." She pulled open one of the back doors and threw her belongings inside except for her phone which she put in the back pocket of her denim shorts just in case he did turn out to be a serial killer.

She smiled anyway, if she did end up face down in a ditch at the side of the road, it was on her parents.

She slumped down in the passenger seat and folded her arms in her lap. "You gonna drive at some point instead of gorping?" Effie asked, raising her eyebrows. He opened his mouth as if to argue back but promptly closed it and started the engine, the static-y old radio coming to life.

About three quarters of the way down the main road, he finally spoke again. "So where is it you're going?"

"Washington." Effie stated plainly looking up to catch his reaction.

"D.C, right?"

"State. I need to get to Seattle." The car came to a screeching halt but luckily there were no other drivers around at such a late hour.

"Are you kidding?" He paused waiting for a response. "I'm not driving you to Seattle. Go find some other sad, brain-dead bastard willing to take you." He looked at her as if she had lost her mind. Their eyes met for a second, dusky grey meeting frosty blue.

"Well by the time you've got to Georgia, you're practically half-way anyway. Please. I'll pay for myself, even the gas, after Atlanta." Effie said, hoping that he might perk up at the offer of money. He still looked uninspired.

"What's in it for me?" he asked and she scoffed.

"I just said! I will pay you to drive me after Atlanta. _And_," she added hoping that a second offer might sway him. "World's best cobbler when we get to my Aunts. Unless there's something else you want?"

It wasn't even meant to come across as suggestive. _Okay, maybe it was but why not have a little fun if I can get it? _She thought.

He leaned in closer until he might as well be on the passenger seat and looked her up and down for a moment. "I think I'll take the cobbler if it's all the same, sweetheart."

She hung her mouth agape for a moment.

What the hell was that supposed to mean? That he was more of a 'courtly love' kind of guy or that he genuinely would prefer cobbler over sex? - Or whatever it was she was offering, she wasn't too sure herself.

But on the plus side, at least he had agreed to take her. As he continued down the road to the first corner, Effie could tell that she was going to be in for an interesting time.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, there you have it! I may or may not carry on with this, it depends on the amount of time I will have on my hands after the Christmas holidays due to exams and such. If I did decide to carry on, it would not mean ditching Snow is Falling (because I would never do that).**

**Okay, now for information regarding this fic. I am not American and have never been to the US in my life so my upmost apologies if I get/got anything wrong. Effie is around sixteen and Haymitch is around eighteen. I can't really think of anything else but if you have any questions or thoughts drop them by in a review or PM me. **

**Thank you for taking the time to read!**


	2. Chapter 2 - Exception

_"No New Messages"_

The words came as no surprise to Effie as she locked her phone and threw it down in her lap in frustration.

Her mother and father wanted nothing to do with her and that was blatantly clear. Though, she thought, that was probably the case right from the offset.

"Boy troubles?" He spoke for the first time in around five miles.

"No." Effie replied shortly.

"Good," he said. "I was worried you might say yes so I'd have to put up with your whining all the way to Seattle."

"No," she said again. "No personal stuff."

He nodded slowly. "So I can't even know your name?"

She hesitated for a moment, but then, going back on all she just said, told him.

"Effie?" he mused. "Well, Effie, it is such a _pleasure_ to make your acquaintance. I'm Haymitch. Abernathy."

"That's an odd name." said Effie.

"Oh, right. And Effie isn't?"

"I didn't ask for that name." she snapped.

He flexed his hands on the driving wheel, still smirking. "Easy there, sweetheart. Wouldn't want to get your panties in a bunch."

"Asshole," she muttered under her breath, evidently loud enough for him to hear as he snorted.

"You wanna walk from here?"

"No," she said harshly and he raised his eyebrows. "And don't call me 'sweetheart'."

He chuckled. "Don't flatter yourself; I call everyone 'sweetheart'."

"I'm sure your girlfriend must love that." She retorted.

"Oh, I don't have a girlfriend."

He pulled out and continued down the road, increasing the speed as they headed onto the interstate.

Effie watched as the New York skyline glinted in the distance, just visible. She felt a pang of sadness saying goodbye to the city she had grown up in, gone to school in, made friends in. She loved the bustle, the people and the diversity on the streets she knew like the back of her hand and she knew she would miss it.

"So what's waiting for you in Seattle?"

"Family, my aunt and cousins."

"You're visiting?"

She paused for a moment, unsure of how to respond. How long was she going to be there for? The rest of her life? The summer while her parents figured there shit out?

She was glad that when she didn't give an answer, he didn't endeavour for one.

The traffic was relatively thin as far as traffic went and they glided out of the State without any hitches. They had been travelling for at least an hour when Effie next checked her phone, the fluorescent letters reading _00:41_.

She sighed as if the realisation of the time had made her tired. A day of yelling, packing and walking had really caught up with her and she wanted nothing more than her bed.

"Get some sleep." Said Haymitch when he heard her yawn.

She shook her head and raked a hand through her hair.

He laughed. "Why? Still think I'm going to murder you?"

She shrugged. "Maybe. I saw this episode of CSI once and-"

"Here we go,"

"-and it was about this one guy who picked up girls on old dusty roads and then drugged them, took them back to his house and locked them in the basement. After a while, he killed them and buried them in the desert never to be seen again." She finished in a whisper to add effect.

Haymitch rolled his head back and laughed. "You watch way too much TV. Also, we are not in a desert so where would I hide you?"

"I don't know," she bit her bottom lip, looking out of the window at the pitch black landscape. "Abandoned warehouse, in the trunk, tossed over the side of a bridge."

"And you picked all of this up from CSI?"

"No. The news, the internet. I like research."

He side eyed her conspicuously. "Okay now I'm scared you're gonna kill _me_."

"Why would I do that? You're driving." She joked.

She tucked her legs underneath her on the seat.

"So why are you going to Georgia?"

"I live there."

"So why were you in New York?"

"I was passing through."

"From?"

He sent her an annoyed look. "Connecticut."

She opened her mouth again but Haymitch cut her off. "What's it to you?"

She held her hands up. "Sorry."

Effie left it at that and turned to face the window once again, letting her eyes close and the soft hum of the car's engine lull her to sleep.

* * *

She started awake when she heard tapping on the car window, her eyes flew open but she immediately recoiled at the glaring sunlight.

When she managed to open her eyes fully, she looked to her left to see Haymitch stood at the window, a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Rise and shine, sweetheart!" he smiled winningly, eyes covered by a pair of black aviators.

She opened her door, whacking him in the leg.

"Is that how you repay me for getting you coffee?" he asked, wincing and she took the cup from him, taking a sip. She spat it out.

"There's no sugar,"

He made a face. "And how was I supposed to know you wanted sugar? I'm not psychic."

She rolled her eyes and started towards the door of the small gas station where he must have purchased it from.

The bell above the door tinkled as she pushed open the door, the cool breeze from a fan hitting her as soon as she entered. She looked around for the coffee machine and found it in all its glory in the corner of the shop, leaking and covered in spilled milk.

She muttered something about hygiene under her breath, taking a sugar sachet between her thumb and forefinger, opening it and tipping it into her cup.

"Sugar's ten cents," a voice piped up from across the store.

Effie turned to see a girl probably the same age as herself behind the counter, short brown hair tied up in a ponytail of sorts. As she walked up to said counter, the girl didn't look up from her phone once.

She dug around in her short pockets for a moment and finally produced a ten cent piece.

The girl shoved it carelessly into the cash register.

"Would you like anything else? We have fantastic offers on sandwiches, salads and a wide range of confectionary. Also, this week only we have a meal deal. Take any sandwich, a bag of chips and a bottled drink for a dollar-fifty." She recited drearily.

Effie let her finish, finding the whole thing incredibly amusing. "No thank you," she looked at the girls name tag, "Johanna."

She couldn't help but laugh at the red name tag reading 'Hi! My name is Johanna, I am happy to help!' the latter part having been unsuccessfully scrubbed out with black felt tip.

Johanna looked up at the mention of her name. "Enjoy your sugar." She said flatly.

"I will thank you." Effie replied cheerily on the way out.

Haymitch was still leaning against the car bonnet, seeming to enjoy his shitty cup of coffee.

"I almost forgot, you owe me eighty cents." He said upon her returning, tapping his coffee cup.

She stopped in front of him. "What? I didn't ask for it!"

He shrugged. "You still owe me eighty cents."

"Fuck you," she replied tersely and watched as his eyebrows shot above his sunglasses.

"I think we should just round this up to a dollar, it would be much easier." He smirked.

"No way."

"A dollar-ten."

"You're unbelievable."

"A dollar-twenty. I can keep this up all day, sweetheart."

Effie stopped there, not wanting the price of her coffee to go up any more than it had to. "Fine," she said slamming down the required amount down on the car bonnet forcefully.

"Hey!" he said swiping up the money and stuffing it into his pocket. "Watch the paintwork."

She glanced down at the dusty car. "It's old anyway."

He chuckled. "It's not old. It's vintage. 1967 Buick Skylark."

His justification on the date and make of the car did nothing for her. It was still old.

"Do you know how much a paintjob for one of these costs?"

She shook her head.

"Two-thousand dollars. So if you want to carry on scratching my bonnet with your grimy city quarters, then go ahead."

Effie turned away, leaning against the car door, taking sips of the coffee that was still nowhere sweet enough.

When she had finished, she tossed the cup into a nearby trash can.

She watched as an old cargo train heaved along the train track running parallel with the road, the ground shaking as it passed.

"Where are we?" Effie asked.

"Just south of Richmond."

She nodded. "Have you slept?"

"Yeah, for about three hours or so."

"Is that safe?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I've driven for longer before. Why are you offering?"

"No," she said. "But if you wanted to get a motel or something."

He smirked. "Didn't know you were that eager, sweetheart."

She made a face. "Don't be so disgusting. I didn't mean it like that."

"It's okay if you did," he said going to the other side of the car, opening the door and hopping inside.

She did the same. "I really didn't."

"What, not even a little bit?" he fake pouted and took off his sunglasses, folding them over his grey t-shirt.

"No." she replied shortly.

"Well, I'm hurt, sweetheart."

"Why? Is that the first time your charms have fallen flat on their faces?"

"Hm," he put the keys in the ignition. "It certainly appears that way."

She smiled to herself determinedly, watching as the car sped away from the gas station.

She decided that she was going to resist him as much as possible. Maybe it would make him less arrogant. It would certainly drive him mad after a while. It was clear that he was the type of guy who had girls falling at his feet wherever he went.

_Not me,_ thought Effie._ I'm going to be the exception_.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, second chapter down! I did decide to carry this on as I have some pretty good ideas of where I want this to go. I am going to aim to update every week or so (though as the year gets on, it may be updated less). Big thank you to those who reviewed the first chapter! :) Please continue to do so, and favourite, follow etc. **

**Love you all, awesome hayffie nerds! **


	3. Chapter 3 - Motel

"…_sweet child of mine-"_

Effie thanked her lucky stars when Haymitch finished his… rendition of Sweet Child O' Mine. It seemed there was nothing he couldn't do whilst driving: vocals, back-up vocals, guitar solos, drums – the lot. She didn't know how many times she had told him to keep his hands on the steering wheel.

"Thank you. Thank you for murdering a great song."

"You're more than welcome, sweetheart. Oh! Bryan Adams!"

Effie turned off the radio before he could even start. "No."

"Don't you wanna hear my take on Summer of '69? I think you'd enjoy it."

"I don't think my ears could handle it."

"That's just mean."

"No, it's the truth. Now can you please just focus and find us a motel."

He smirked even though the joke about the motel had been and gone. He apparently still found it funny.

After persistent nagging on her part, Haymitch had finally agreed to letting them stop somewhere other than in the car.

They had been in each other's company for twenty-four hours now and Haymitch was doing everything in his power to annoy Effie. Case in point being singing Guns N' Roses at the top of his voice. It was a source of amusement for him but was truly beginning to grate on her.

Whenever she yelled at him he would just smirk, finding delight in the situation that was anything but. Effie was not a violent person but she often caught herself thinking about slapping that damn smirk from his face.

"You see anything?" He asked as they headed out of yet another town.

"No," she said with a drawn out sigh.

It must have been the third town they had passed through in the last half hour and Effie was beginning to embrace the probability of having to sleep in the car at the side of the road.

The rain had also begun to fall, glazing the windscreen like silk whenever they stopped at a set of traffic lights. Effie watched a drop making a trail down her window before it was swept up by another and drawn to the frame as the car picked up speed.

She looked out at the black silhouettes of the trees against the slightly lighter sky, battered by the rain. They parted for a moment and Effie noticed a set of neon lights. She sat bolt upright, craning for a view of the lettering.

"There!" she yelled, a little louder than she should have, upon seeing the word she had longed to all evening.

Haymitch also let out a sigh. "Praise the Lord."

The car came to a halt in the car park about five-hundred meters from the entrance.

"Can you not get any closer to the door?" Effie whined, the rain hammering on the roof of the car relentlessly.

"It's rain. Not acid or poison or blood or something. Water."

"I know but I didn't bring anything to sleep in. I only have one change of clothes."

He gave her a look. "So you're going all the way across the country and only have one change of clothes?"

"Yes. My parents are FedEx-ing the rest of my stuff."

He turned in his seat to face her directly. "Well then you'd better run." He took the keys from the ignition as an indication that he was not driving anywhere any time soon.

She let out a frustrated growl, opening the door and stepping out into the rain making sure to slam the door as soon as she was out.

She ran to the back door, pulling her belongings from the seat and shrugging her bag over her shoulder.

Haymitch also got out of the car and upon finding that he didn't particularly like the rain either, made a beeline for the door.

Effie managed to catch up with him just before the door shut automatically.

The two approached the front desk, the blonde haired girl behind looking up.

"Hey, we need a room." Said Haymitch, running a hand through his sodden hair.

"Please," Effie added making sure he saw the glance she threw his way. She sent an apologetic smile to the receptionist who began tapping away at the computer.

She put the strawberry charm on the end of her necklace between her lips momentarily as her eyes scanned whatever information had appeared.

"You're in luck. Last one." She smiled and stood, crossing to a large wooden cabinet that held what looked to be a key for each room plus a spare.

When she returned, Haymitch took the key from her and side smiled. "Thanks"

She grinned back. "You're welcome."

There were no words for a moment and Effie stood watching the two of them, eyes gazing into the others. She gave Haymitch a forcible shove.

"Come on, asshole, I don't have all day!"

He staggered for a moment. "Alright, alright."

As they walked, Effie saw out of the corner of her eye as Haymitch threw a wink at the receptionist over his shoulder.

He sighed, pleased with himself. "I am so in there."

She made a noise of repulse. "You're disgusting."

"What?! Strawberry girl was into me."

"Her name was Margaret, can you not read?"

"Margaret," he mused to himself before answering her question. "Yes I can read. My mind was just elsewhere."

She visibly squirmed, shaking her head. "Never say that again."

Haymitch smirked, pushing open a door that led to a sheltered outside corridor of sorts. Though neither thought it possible, the rain was heavier than before.

Once the shelter ended, both stood there for a moment, daring the other to go.

Effie went first, taking off full speed up the steps of corrugated steel that were slick with the rain. Her foot missed one of the steps and she put out her hands bracing herself for a fall but a hand on her arm stopped her from tumbling.

"You sure a trip to the fracture clinic would be worth keeping your hair dry?" he asked as she yanked her arm free and continued up the stairs feeling horribly mortified.

"I think the word you're searching for there is 'thankyou'"

She didn't satisfy him with a snide remark and kept her mouth closed until they reached the top.

"What number is it?"

He checked the number on the key. "Eleven."

They continued down the balcony until they reached the correct door. Haymitch put the key in the lock, turned it, pushed open the door, and immediately recoiled throwing his hands across his eyes.

"Fucking hell,"

Effie peered round the corner and too threw herself away from the door.

Sprawled stark naked across the bed were a man and woman, both on the large side, in a very…provocative position. The worst part was they didn't even stop.

Averting her gaze, Effie fumbled around for the doorknob and, as soon as her hand found its target, she slammed it shut as fast as possible, silencing the animalistic sounds coming from within.

Haymitch exhaled loudly from his position on the floor. "If that isn't enough to put me off sex for a life– Oh wait, never mind." He grinned winningly as Margaret approached, hair wet and dishevelled and panting from her apparent run from reception.

"Sorry, someone put the spare key for eleven in the wrong place. You're in twelve." She held out another key and Effie swapped it with elevens.

"Enjoy your stay!" she said brightly, running off into the rain as quickly as she came. Haymitch watched her as she went, craning his neck for a view. After she disappeared, he made a sound of contentment.

Effie had no words. She decided she had given up on him completely.

They approached the next door cautiously. Effie made Haymitch go first.

"It's clear." He said looking through the three-inch gap he made for himself.

"Thank God." Effie sighed and turned on the light they entered, closing the door behind her.

Haymitch literally threw himself face down onto the bed, not even bothering to take off his shoes.

"What do you think you're doing?" Effie asked setting her belongings down on top of the scratched wooden desk.

"What does it look like?" his voice was muffled as he spoke through the two pillows surrounding his face.

"Well you can get off. The bed is mine."

He laughed heartily, flipping himself over. "No way, sweetheart. Have fun in the bathtub."

She hung her mouth open. "I am not sleeping in the bathtub."

"Fine. There's the floor, under the desk. Those are really your only options. I would share with you but you seem like the type who'd take all the covers-"

"I'm not sharing with you."

"Good. I get this super comfortable double bed with pillows and a cozy duvet all to myself then."

Effie bit her lip. She refused to sleep anywhere else.

She walked to the bedside and without properly thinking about her actions, began to push him. He didn't go too far and simply laughed at her and her efforts to get the bed that he had already claimed.

"Get. Off." She growled in between shoves.

She put all her might into the next push and managed to get his head, neck and shoulders off the mattress. He made the mistake of trying to pull himself back up and sent his entire body to the ground with a groan.

"Yes!" She exclaimed loudly, jumping onto the bed, but was cut short when the duvet was pulled from beneath her and onto the floor, herself soon following suit.

She lay there for a moment trying to regulate her breathing.

"Sweetheart, you're kind of lying on me."

She pulled herself up sluggishly onto the mattress, yanking the duvet up after her and revealing Haymitch's winded body beneath.

"Do I win?" She asked in between ragged breaths.

He looked defeated for a moment but then a smirk crossed his features. "No way in hell."

He grabbed her by the ankle, pulling her down once again then took the duvet and the pillows and threw them carelessly down on top of her in hope to pacify her for a moment.

"Abernathy!" She yelled, trying to fight her way out of the cotton. Once she had untangled herself, she popped her head over the mattress and found a seemingly empty room.

Her heart quickened. He was hidden somewhere.

She stood as quietly as possible, grabbing a pillow in preparation to bombard him should he jump out on her. A section of the floor creaked as she moved and she cursed under her breath.

The slide-across door of the wardrobe stood slightly ajar and she deliberately kept her distance.

She approached the bathroom door, raising her pillow as she pushed it open, wary of the complete blackness inside. Next thing she knew, said blackness was all around her.

She heard something scrape against the door on the outside.

Her hands fumbled for a light switch and she swore loudly when she realized it was outside.

"Haymitch! Open this door right now!" she yelled.

She heard him chuckle from outside. "Have fun in the bathtub, sweetheart."

She growled in frustration and hit her hands flat against the doors.

"When I get out of here I will kick you so hard in the balls your grandkids are going to feel it!"

Again he laughed. She sunk against the door.

Of all the things he had done so far, this most definitely took the biscuit.

She looked around her for anything that could possibly help her escape and so far her options weren't inspiring. A bar of soap, her phone, a couple of towels.

Her eyes settled on the window. It was small but surely not _too_ small. No. It was a ridiculous thought. But so was the thought of letting him win.

Soon enough, she found herself on the other side of the window seriously regretting her decision every time she looked down. She wasn't that high up but high enough to suffer a few broken bones at best if she fell.

There was a small ledge, about a meter or so long before the motel balcony began and all she had to do was get across.

Effie gripped tighter onto the window ledge, her knuckles turning white. She could almost visualise herself falling to her untimely death – It would be all over the news the next day. _Effie Trinket, Sixteen, falls to her death from a motel window trying to escape from a bathroom and kick her companion in the balls. _

Instead of mulling over what her tragic yet somewhat amusing headline would be, she pushed herself forward, her hand reaching the iron railing and pulling herself over.

She took a moment to compose herself and appreciate the fact that she was still alive before taking off for the door.

She knocked a few times before he opened the door, a look of perplexity crossing his features.

"What the-"

He didn't have chance to finish before Effie fulfilled her promise. He crumpled against the wall.

"Did you think I was bluffing?" She asked calmly, going to the bed and rearranging the duvet and pillows on _her_ bed.

"You're fucking crazy." He moaned, cupping his male counterparts through his worn jeans.

"No, I just don't give up that easily."

That night Haymitch slept in the bathtub.

* * *

**A/N: Okayyy, haha. Sorry this is a teency bit later but I was busy this weekend and simply didn't have time to update. This chapter was super fun to write and originally there was going to be a different ending but I decided that I liked this one better :) A HUGE Thankyou to everyone who reviewed/followed/favourited since I last updated! Your feedback is so great and I am truly thankful for everything I receive :) I'm not entirely sure what I have planned for the next chapter so by all means, drop by a PM if you have any ideas or anything!**

**You truly are the best!**


	4. Authors Note

**Authors note:**

**Hey guys,**

**I know this is the last thing you will all want to read and I have hated having to write it but basically, I have come to the decision to put this fic on hiatus for a while. THIS DOES NOT MEAN I'M GIVING UP! I will eventually come back to them both I promise! But they are both a little too much pressure at the moment and I can't cope with writing them. I'm not sure how long I will leave them for but I have exams these next two weeks and then in the summer too and I need to concentrate on those, but when I get the chance to update, I will.**

**Sorry for having to post this but I would rather tell you all than just leave you all guessing. Thankyou for all the feedback and love so far and I will write as soon as I can.**

**Blueskyblues**


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